As we prepare to celebrate Christmas and the Spirit of  Giving, the South Indian city of Chennai and neighboring coastal regions have been ravaged by cyclones and torrential rains. This downpour is the worst that the area has seen in the past 100 years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-35004033

Many parts of Chennai have been hit very hard and people have been marooned in their own houses. Thousands of homes have been completely flooded and several areas are without electricity and basic access to food and water. The Chennai airport and train stations have been shutdown.

More than 300 people have died and over 1.8 million people have been displaced as a result, with damages and losses estimated to be more than US$3 billion (Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_South_Indian_floods)

Volunteers from IAHV and The Art of Living Foundation have been actively involved in relief and rescue efforts. Over 200 volunteers are working on the ground and have helped feed over 20,000 people over the last 3 weeks. They have also distributed over 1000 medical kits and are continuing to rescue stranded citizens everyday. Our local volunteers have also been actively supporting the Indian Coast Guard, Fire Department and Rescue Teams with food and logistics as required.

Here's the latest on our relief efforts http://www.iahv.org/us-en/chennai-flood-relief/